Curtain stretcher



May 23, 1950 J. MIELE CURTAIN STRETCHER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1947 m Qu l W F! y 1950 J. MIELE. 2,508,681

CURTAIN STRETCHER Filed April 18, 1947 s she'ets -sheet 2 May 23, 1950 J. MIELE CURTAIN STRETCHER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18, 1947 1N VEN TOR.

Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE John Miele, Jersey City, N. J.

Application April 18, 1947, Serial No. 742,402

The invention relates to stretchers for lace curtains, blankets and the like, of the general type in which vertical and horizontal bars extend across a rectangular frame and are shiftable with respect thereto to adjust the stretcher to proper size for any article to be stretched and dried.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved construction which permits shifting of the above mentioned bars with I extreme ease and provides quickly and easily showing a portion of the vertically shiftable curtain-anchoring bar, the carriage supporting one end of said bar, the guide track for said carriage, and the carriage brake cooperable with a portion of said track.

Fig. 4 is adetail horizontal sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing more particularly the carriage, track and brake means for the upper end of the horizontally shiftable curtain-anchoring bar.

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional Views on lines 1-! and 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig.9 isa detail view showing the adjusting screws with which the noses of the brake-applying cam levers are provided.

A rectangular vertically disposed frame I is provided, said frame having upper and lower horizontal track bars I I and I2 and vertical track bars I3 suitably joined to the ends of said horizontal bars II and I2. Each of the track bars II, l2 and I3 is of the hollow form shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 7, and comprises an outer wall I4, two parallel side walls I5 integral with and projecting inwardly from said outer wall I4, and two angular track flanges I 6 extending inwardly from the inner edges of said side wall ill, a. longitudinal slot I! being provided between said track flanges I6.

The upper track bar II and one of the vertical track bars l3, are provided with carding cloth 5 Claims. (C!- 45-24) 2 or the like I8 which may well be held by small channels I9 welded to said bars. v

A vertically disposed curtain-anchoring member 26 extends between the upper and lower track bars II and I5 and the ends of said member 20 are secured to upper and lower carriages El and Zia which are mounted within said track bars II and I2 respectively; and a horizontally disposed curtain-anchoring bar 22 extends between the verticaltrack bars I3 and is secured at its ends to carriages 23 mounted within said track bars 13. The two curtain-holding members 20 and 22 are provided with carding cloth or the like 2-4 which may well be held in place by weldedon channels 25.

The carriages 2|, ZIa and 23 are very similar to each other in construction, and only the carriage 2| will be described in detail, reference being made more particularly to Figs. 6, '7 and 8. This carriage includes an elongated one-piece body 26 extending longitudinally within the track bar I I and having an integral downwardly projecting arm 21 near'one of its ends, said arm having a narrowed portion 28 which extends through the slot I1. The ends of the body 26 are provided with wheels 29 engaging the track flanges I6 of the bar I I, appropriate ball or roller bearings 30 being preferably provided for said wheels to insure extremely easy movement of the curtain-anchoring member 26. The bearings 30 surround axles for the wheels 29' and are within apertured bosses on the ends of rods screwed into threaded sockets formed in the ends of the body 26, as shown in Figure 6.

Between the body 26 and the outer wall It of the track bar II, I provide a suitable rigid brake shoe 3| having suitably attached mounting pins 32 which extend slidably through openings 33 in the body 26, the lower ends of said mounting pins having nuts or other suitable stops 34. C011 springs 35 surround the mounting pins 32, bear downwardly upon the stops 34, and bear upwardly on the carriage body 26, said springs therefore serving to lower the brake shoe 3! when permitted to do so. A cam lever 35, however, is fulcrumed upon the'carriage body 26 and is provided with a nose 3'! cooperable with the brake shoe 3! to project the latter into tight contact with the outer wall I4 of the track bar II, when said cam lever is forced upwardly to the position shown in the drawings. Thus, with the lever in v this position, the carriage 2| is locked against movement. The lever 36 swings slightly past dead-center when swung upwardly and it will, therefore, remain-in this position until pulled A! :ssuitably secured etc the bar 522.

downwardly by hand. Upon this latter movement of the lever, the springs 35 retract the brake shoe 3! and easy movement of the carriage 2! is therefore permitted when adjusting the curtain anchoring member 20. I preferably provide the nose 31 of lever 36 with an adjusting screw 38 for contact with the backing bar 39 of the brake shoe 3!, as seen in Fig. 9. Both this screw and the backing bar are of hardened steel and, therefore, very little wear occurs, but the screw 38 is .of advantage when initially adjusting the brake for most effective operation and will also be useable thereafter to compensate for any Wear which occurs. lining 4!) is provided on the backingbar '39 "for contact with the outer wall l4 of the track bar H, and practically no wear .on this lining will.

occur, as the movement of the carriage '21 is stopped before the brake shoe is applied to-said outer wall l4.

. Thelower carriage 2 lads lalmost identical-with the upper carriage 2|, .but its arm 21a is much shorter so .as not to interfere with maximum descent .of the curtain. anchoring -.bar 22. Also, .the

brake-actuating lever .360; of carriage 21a is of somewhat-difierent shape toadapt it to .be .operated either by hand or .foot. When this lever samples the ,position shown-in Fig. l, the brake shoe am .is :in engagement with the outer wall .\-of z-thellower track .bar 12, and said shoeis released -when said lever .is swung (upwardly.

The arms -.2.-1--.and 21am theiupper and lower carriages =2! and 11a, :serveas attaching means for the vertical -c1ntairL-member :20. This memher is preferably formed from two laterally 1 r spaced vertical bars M secured iagainstopposite sides of .-the arms s2] -and.,-21a.and carrying the channels '25 forthe carding cloth24 :ofsaid mem- =ber 20. Figs.:6 and Hillustrate screws for securing the bars 41 to the arms 21, and said zbars may be fastenedsto rthelarm 21min the same man- HEY.

Elhearms .2'lb-of thelcarriages :23 are disposed near .the lower ends 50f the carriage bodies 2.612

and areconnected with-the ends :of the horizoni' 'tal curtain-anchoringibar 22. Thar, as seen in-lFig-s. '3, 4 *and .-5, is =in the zform-sof a tube 0f rectangular across-section, -;the arms $21-17 extend .into the ends this tuberand rivetsnr the like 4:21) :are employed 1 to secure "said tube :and arms together.

The brake shoes 13! b-ofzthe :carriages 231) are aeperabletbymieans :offleversilibnf diflierentshape from the levers 3E randdfia, said, levers 23Gb being "suitably connected with the :ends of pull cables 9748 which extend throughoutithe greater part of zitheir lengths within ltheitubularlbartfl, the top ofr'said I bal', however, ibeing formed with openzings through which :the end portions :of the Scabies extend upwardly, one of these openings dieing shown :41 :iniFig. 3. The :inner ends of lthe 13833188 143 are adjustably connected :to curved :55 which are =pivnted :to a hand lever "48,

:said hand llever'heing "fulcrumed upon latbracket Whe the hand lever 56 ;is swung-to the Y position of .Fig. 11, "the lmks 65 pull uponrthe cables dd and operate the'leversi-flb to engage the brake shoes 3ib-with the outer-side walls 14 0f the-vertical track bars 3, thus locking bar Z2 kin adjusted position. when lever tii occupies the-position in question, the various pivots are slightly past deadcenter relation and the "lever will, :therefore, remain :in that position-zuntiltreleased. when it is :released,

A good grade of brake bar 22 may then be vertically adjusted. The weight of this bar and its carriages 23b is preferably accurately counter-balanced by means of weights 48 connected to the upper ends of said carriages by chains or cables 49, said chains or cables extending over appropriate sheaves 50. Guide tubes 5| are preferably provided for the weights 48, said guide tubes being welded or otherwise secured to the outer sides of the track bars 113.

It will be seen from the foregoingand the accompanying drawings, that when the friction brakes are released, the vertical and horizontal -curtair-i-anchoring bars 20 and 22 may be adjusted with ease and speed, and that said bars anayibe locked in any selected positions by quick and easyrapplication of the brakes. Due to this extreme ease or operation, and the speed with whichgit can be performed, the attendant can accomplish a great deal more work with less fatigue than-when using -.conventlonal stretchers.

Excellent results have ;.been obtained from .the general construction shown .and -.desc.ribed and it :is, therefore, preferably followed. .However, within the scope .of the invention .as claimed, numerous variations may .be .made.

I claim:

1. A curtain. stretchercomprisinga .frame having horizontal .npperland .lowerhollow trackhars. and vertical hollow track .bars .at the :ends .of

said holhaw horizontal .track bars, .each .of said .engageable with internal surfaces of the Itrack bars; and manuall operable actuating ;means for said hralre .shoes including levers pivoted .to :said carriages and extending through said slots of said hollow track bars, said leversharing nose ends to engage said brake shoes .and ;.mcve "to past-dead-center position to flock the shoes in braking position; one of .said vertical track-bars, one of said horizontal track bars, and both of said curtain anchoring bars having "curtainanchoring .means.

.2. In a ,curtainstretcher .two .hollow vertical track bars having longitudinal slots, wheeled carriages mounted ,withinsaid hollow 'trackJbars, friction brake shoes mounted onsaid carriages to engage internal surfaces 10f .s-aid bars, .spring means for retracting said brake shoes, ibrake shoe actuating levers pivoted ,to said carriages and extending through the .slots .of and track bars, :said levers .being movable :to pas tdeadcenter positionsto hold saidbrake.shoesapphed, :a horizontally curtain-anchoring bar extending between said-track .bars and connected {at itsrends tosaid carriages, ahandelever pivotedat. one end of said .curtaineanchoring. bahfi sitelyextending -1:urved links --.piv otsd iatispaced points to said hand lever, said shallow icurtaineanchoring bar having openings adjacent its :ends and adjacent said hand sieve-r, and cables drawing their .magior portions confined within said shallow sustainanchoring bar and their endzportions :tex lendin through said topenings and connected to said -the two bralmzshw ah-b i318 :nelcased and Jane-1. 16 -flnra-ke :shoe levers :andsaid curved Jinks. A

3. In a curtain stretcher, spaced horizontal and vertical hollow track bars forming a rectangle, each bar having an outer wall, two parallel side walls extending inwardly from said outer wall, two track flanges extending inwardly from the inner edges of said side walls and reentrant flanges at the inner extremities of said track flanges parallel to said side Walls; an elongated carriage body extending longitudinally within each hollow track bar, said body having threaded longitudinal bores at each of its ends, rods having apertured bosses at their outer extremities and threaded inner ends engaging said bores, transverse axles extending through said apertured bosses, spaced parallel wheels carried by each of said axles on opposite sides of each boss and engaging said track flanges, an elongated friction brake shoe between said body and said outer wall and cooperable with said outer wall, brake lining on the inner side of said shoes, said brake shoes having parallel mounting pins extending slidably through said body, springs surrounding said mounting pins on the outer side of said body and active thereon to retract said brake shoe, a lever mounted on said body and having a cam nose for forcing said brake shoe against said outer wall, said body having a slot through which said lever extends, and curtain-anchoring bars at right angles to each other and secured at each end to one of said bodies, the bodies of opposed parallel members being thus aligned to permit movement of their associated bars perpendicularly with respect to their associated track bars.

4. A curtain stretcher as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cams for forcing the brake shoes against their associated outer track walls each include an adjustable screw engaging a threaded bore in the cam nose and linearly movable with respect thereto to compensate for year thereon.

5. In a curtain stretcher, a hollow track bar having an outer wall, two parallel side walls extending inwardly from said outer wall, and two angular track flanges extending inwardly from the inner edges of said side walls; an elongated carriage body extending longitudinally within said hollow track bar and having wheels at its ends engaging said track flanges, an arm integral with said body and extending therefrom at a right angle, said arm having a narrow portion between said track flanges, and a wide outer portion, a curtain-anchoring member having spaced, opposed portions to receive between them said outer portion of said arm, and means fastening said portions of said arm and said curtainanchoring member, and a curtain-anchoring bar secured at one of its ends to said arm.

JOHN MIELE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,530,608 Newcomb Mar. 24, 1925 1,578,550 Schramm Mar. 30, 1926 1,722,217 Hopkins July 23, 1929 1,859,217 O'Brien et al. May 17, 1932 

